Boca, 2012

Meatier, more herbal and mineral than its 2013 successor. Notes of iron, blood orange, earth and balsamic add complexity to the bright crunchy red fruit. Tightly-wound but lifting and complex this will need a couple of years in bottle to reveal its full potential. From two hectares of vineyard in the Volcanic hillsides of Boca, 450 metres above sea level. A blend of 85 % Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina, aged in large used Slavonian oak casks for two and a half years before bottling.

Davide Carlone's winemaking roots stretch back as far as the 1880s. Since 1989 Davide has been hand tending his family's small holding of 3.5ha - or in fact, by Boca's standards, a rather large holding. For the entire vineyard surface area of this forgotten part of the Alto Piedmonte has dwindled down to a mere 15 ha devoted to Boca production. When industrial jobs in Turin and Milan became more appealing, people deserted the land, vineyards died and forest took over. Interest or investment in expanding the vineyard area once more has been slow to come, such is the work and cost involved of uprooting trees on sheer, rocky hillsides. However we are delighted that growers such as Davide are keeping the place alive. The vineyards here are magical, the highest in Alto Piemonte, at 450 metres above sea level and with volcanic soils, influenced by their proximity to the Alps. Davide is blessed with old vines, particularly the 80-100 year old Croatina, which he is passionate about getting the best from, in the most enviromentally friendly and sensitive way as possible. He is as hands off as possible in the winery allowing spontaneous ferments and ageing the wines either sur lie in steel tank for the Colline Novasresi wines or large used slavonian oak botti for the Bocas. The resultant wines offer a classical beauty, crisp structures and high definition red fruit flavours and spicy balsamic notes. The Bocas in particular can be austere in their first flush of youth but blossom with age.

Piedmont sitting at the foot of the mountains is justly regarded as one of, if not the finest wine growing region in Italy. The noblest grape found in the region in undoubtedly Nebbiolo, with the DOCG's of Barolo and Barbaresco at the forefront of production. Barbera and Dolcetto come in second and third, and being earlier ripening are often found located on those sides of the hills that receive less sunshine. The wines from Piedmont are intrinsically food friendly wines, a fact understandable given the culinary strength of the area.

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Tax Status Explained

IB stands for In Bond. Wines that are stored In Bond have not had UK Duty and VAT paid on them.

Most of our wines are available for purchase under bond, as fine wines often need to be laid down in order to allow them to mature. Many clients choose therefore to store them in our bonded warehouse and pay the tax as and when they wish to get the wines delivered. Please note that Wines purchased In Bond can be exported to non-EU countries without the need for Duty and VAT to be paid.

DP stands for duty paid. If you wish to get wines delivered for drinking, the duty and VAT will need to be paid as it leaves its bonded state in the warehouse. The wine is then said to be duty paid.

All taxes must be paid in order for us to be authorised to ship or deliver wine (unless the wine is bonded and being moved to another bonded warehouse or being shipped directly outside of the EU.)

EP stands for En Primeur. These wines are currently held with the Estate and Domaine’s we work with and will be shipped in due course.